


listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise

by ashintuku



Series: fox on the run [26]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 20:26:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11238555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashintuku/pseuds/ashintuku
Summary: The sound of a door slapping open nixed that idea right quick, though, and Yondu was up and on his feet, crouched low, despite the pounding head and sore limbs. He pursed his lips, whistling one high, sharp note, and the Yaka arrow flicked out of its holster to hover near his ear.“Now that’s what I call a warm welcome.”Yondu opened his eyes.





	listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise

He was on his back. 

Honestly, he wasn’t surprised that he was on his back. His head was killing him, and that stitch in his side that had been growing over the years was makin’ itself known to him – it suggested he’d had a rough night. Day. A rough time of it. He usually ended up on his back after havin’ a rough time of it. It was just how it was. 

What he didn’t remember was what he had a rough time _with_. 

He spread out his hand, feeling short, bristly grass underneath calluses; it felt like he was lying on top of a small rock. He wondered if he was on one of those planets he took Quill to when it was time he learned somethin’. 

The sound of a door slapping open nixed that idea right quick, though, and Yondu was up and on his feet, crouched low, despite the pounding head and sore limbs. He pursed his lips, whistling one high, sharp note, and the Yaka arrow flicked out of its holster to hover near his ear. 

“Now that’s what I call a warm welcome.” 

Yondu opened his eyes. 

He was in a yard, fenced off from its surroundings, and in front of him was a modest little house painted a soft blue. There were patches of flowers – they looked terran – and a screen door clunked closed behind the figure of a slight woman standing on the deck. 

She was thin, and pale, with big blue-green eyes and blonde hair chopped to her shoulders. She wore a summer dress but also a shawl, like she was cold and her wrists were frail and boney as she pushed back her hair and watched him. 

She raised her eyebrows expectantly, and Yondu knew exactly who she was. 

_Now_ he remembered.

“Not used t’warm welcomes,” he said after a moment, slowly standing up to his full height. She tilted her head, and he whistled once more; the Yaka returning to its holster, the leather of his duster falling forward to hide it. “Not really sure where I am, neither.” 

“So instead of looking around, you threaten the first person you see?” 

Yondu nodded, not bothering to make his apologies, and Meredith Quill wrinkled her nose and shook her head. She walked forward slowly, stepping down the back porch steps; Yondu held himself very still as she approached. 

She was taller than the average terran woman, not that he’d met too many. She was only a little shorter than him; just enough that she had to tilt her head up and look at him with the same eyes that Quill always looked at him with, when he was sizin’ the Centaurian up and figurin’ whether he should say what was on his mind or keep his mouth shut. 

_Smack!_

Yondu blinked, head jerked to the side, as Meredith Quill slapped him right across the cheek; his scars tingling and his red eyes glowing briefly along with his fin before he controlled himself. He turned slowly to look at her, and she was still staring at him contemplatively. 

“That was for taking my baby boy away from his family without even a ‘by your leave’,” she said, and Yondu gritted his teeth and said nothing. Really, he deserved that one; he couldn’t fault her for that—

_Smack!_

“What was that one for?!” 

Meredith raised an eyebrow, and Yondu’s mouth snapped shut with a click of teeth. 

“ _That_ was for treating my baby boy the way you and your rowdy crewmates did throughout his life.” 

Yondu thought back to how the Ravagers and he had treated Quill while growing up; and yes, alright, he supposed he deserved _that_ one, too, he couldn’t really deny that—

_Smack!_

“Now yer gettin’ ridiculous, woman—”

“ _That_ was for making my baby boy think he had no one he could consider his daddy his _entire life_ ,” Meredith Quill said, staring at him purposefully. Yondu straightened his back and narrowed his eyes on her, shoulders tense. 

“The moment I showed that boy any kind’a niceties, the other Ravagers would’a torn me apart in front of ‘im – and where would _he_ be then, huh? I _protected_ him, I did. I didn’t do it well, but I _did_.” 

Meredith raised her hand one more time, and Yondu had never been one to hit women he knew couldn’t rightly defend themselves; it was like beating a slave when they couldn’t fight back, it was, and he was _better_ than those battlemasters. Not by much, bur dammit, he _was_. 

She then pressed her hand to the scars on his cheek, lifting herself up on her toes, and pressed a kiss to his unmarred cheek. Yondu froze in place, not sure what exactly the hell was goin’ on. 

“And _that_ ,” Meredith said, pulling back and looking up at him with a smile – and that was Quill’s smile, that was his boy’s, he’s right glad that the kid didn’t seem to inherit anything from his jackass father, “was for saving my baby boy from his rotten father.” 

“..S’a nice way of puttin’ it, ma’am.” 

Meredith laughed, stepping back, and Yondu finally relaxed as she put some space between them. She adjusted her shawl, pushing back her hair, and Yondu realized she looked exactly like a picture Quill had had, once, in his backpack, tucked away for safekeepin’. The house, too, and the yard. 

He’d lost that picture when he was still little; one of the others had gotten hold of it, tore it apart. Told Quill he didn’t have his momma anymore so why keep remindin’ hisself of her. It was around then that Quill had latched onto his music player so desperately; around then that Yondu started watching out for the kid and chasing off any crew who thought to mess with him. 

It was probably the beginning of the end, really. 

“ _You_ taught our boy to swear, not me,” she said, finally, and Yondu twitched at the ‘ _our boy_ ’. “He didn’t grow up how I hoped he would, but...” 

“...he got t’grow up, ma’am. If it ain’t too strong t’say it like that.” 

Meredith looked at him, still smiling, and she reached up and pressed her hand against his cheek. He near-wondered if she was going to slap him again. 

“He grew up into a fine young man. Thank you, Yondu Udonta, for helping him get there.” 

Yondu looked away from Meredith, staring up at the bright blue terran sky; his throat a little tight and something loosening in his chest; it felt a little like worry, but he’d never admit that, not out loud. 

“...he did turn out pretty good, dinnit’e.” 

Meredith laughed again, and he took it as the agreement it was.


End file.
